This invention generally relates to a carrier tray which compactly supports a plurality of individual items. The invention also generally relates to a blank for forming such a carrier tray. More particularly, the invention embodies a carrier tray which is generally T-shaped so as to provide opposing shelf portions extending in opposite directions from a spine panel. A plurality of items such as food packages can be supported upon opposite sides of the spine panel in conjunction with securement means in order to provide a compact and easy-to-carry bundle of items. The carrier tray only minimally obscures from view the items which are thereby supported by the carrier tray.
Many consumer items are packaged in individual cartons which have an overall generally rectilinear shape. At times, a consumer may wish to purchase more than one of these packaged items at the same time. On some occasions, the manufacturer of the item will wish to offer a discount for purchasing same in multiple quantities. Both objectives are addressed by packaging approaches that simply provide a larger volume of items in a single package in order to thereby reap the benefits of economies of scale for both the seller and the purchaser. This larger volume approach, however, is not particularly satisfactory in instances where the item sought to be marketed in a larger quantity arrangement is not conveniently scaled up by simply increasing the volume in a package.
In some instances, simply providing a package of larger volume in order to scale up the product being sold can be undesirable. For example, this necessitates the manufacturing of differently sized packages, thereby increasing overall costs and causing inventory complications. In other instances, the particular item being marketed is in effect defined by a given size consideration. One example in this regard is when the item is a packaged meal for an individual. A more specific example is a pre-packaged meal which is intended to be transported as a unit such as from home to school or work. For these types of products, economies of scale can be realized only by further packaging the individual items or products in a way that each meal, for example, remains individually packaged, but a plurality of them are sold as a unit.
Accordingly, it is at times desirable to bundle together multiple items for sale as a unit, whether those items are intended for a single use application such as a meal or whether the bundling is done in order to avoid having to produce a large-sized version of a particular product. A typical approach for achieving this bundling can be to put up a package which is in form of a carton that contains a plurality of these items.
The present invention eliminates certain disadvantages of this traditional cartoning approach. It uses much less material than does the traditional carton. It avoids the situation where graphics and other informational and promotional information is hidden from view by being within an outer carton. It minimizes the need, if any, to provide product identifiers on an outer carton. The approach in accordance with the present invention also reduces inventory requirements by eliminating outer cartons which must be specifically sized in order to accommodate properly the individual items or packages to be bundled by the carton.
In accordance with the present invention, a carrier tray and blank from which the carrier tray is formed have been found to successfully address these shortcomings of traditional multiple-package cartoning while also avoiding certain difficulties which can arise with certain individual item packages such as damage to the packaging during transport handling and stacking and during pick up and carrying by the consumer.
In summary, the present invention takes the form of a carrier tray which compactly supports a plurality of individual items, such as packaged meals and the like, the carrier tray having a generally vertically oriented spine panel, a generally horizontally oriented bottom panel, one or more members or features for releasably securing a plurality of the individual items to the spine panel, and a handle member which projects beyond the bundled individual items during carrying. The blank for forming the carrier tray incorporates a plurality of panels of selected sizing and orientation which, when folded, define such a carrier tray.
It is accordingly a general object of the present invention to provide an improved carrier tray and blank from which the carrier tray is formed.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved carrier tray and blank which conserves material when compared with traditional cartoning approaches.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved carrier tray and blank for bundling a plurality of packaged items in a form having a carrying handle.
Another object of this invention is to provide an improved carrier tray and blank for bundling and supporting a plurality of packaged items having windows and which minimizes the likelihood of damage to the windows while picking up and carrying the package.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved carrier tray and blank therefor which features enhanced visibility of individual items which are bundled.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved carrier tray and blank which provides for substantially flat and secure stacking of bundles of packaged items.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved bundling approach which minimizes the extent of printing or other product identifying information on the bundling device.
Another object of this invention is to provide an improved carrier tray and blank for forming same which can be used with bundles of packages of different sizes which are generally close in size and shape.
These and other objects, advantages and features of the present invention will be apparent from and clearly understood through a consideration of the following detailed description.